


Significant Other

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [35]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Episode: s08e18 Threads, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-04
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-10-21 23:45:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17651978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: Jack couldn’t hide the surprise in his voice. “A vacation, Carter? You?” Without thinking, he reached over and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. With a small grin, he quipped, “You sure you’re feeling OK?”





	Significant Other

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘Dump Your Significant Jerk Day’ on 3 February. A missing scene, if you will, for Threads.

“Basically, unless the fate of the universe hangs in the balance, I don’t want to know.”

Colonel Reynolds huffed out a laugh. “I think I can handle those orders, Jack.”

“Make sure you do, Albert.” With a crooked grin and a final, supportive pat on the shoulder, the General watched his friend make his way to his truck before he closed the door.

Suddenly, the events of the day seemed to catch up with him and he ran a hand over his face. He was exhausted. It had been a good afternoon – or at least as good an afternoon as it could be when you were hosting a wake. It wasn’t a large affair, or even something that had been greatly planned, but he’d offered his home for the gathering while a drop-in invitation had been extended to those on the base who wished to pay their respects. However, over the course of the day, Jack had spotted every single one of the officers under his command. Some had only stayed ten minutes, others an hour, but they had all made the effort. It was a fitting goodbye for Jacob who was held in high regard by many within the SGC; but Jack also knew that everyone who’d shown up, had done so for Sam. They were there for _her_ and spoke volumes of the respect they held for the colonel. The realization made Jack incredibly proud of his people and the close family-like bond they shared in Cheyenne Mountain.

With a groan, he pushed himself away from the door and headed into the living room where Daniel and Teal’c were quietly collecting empty bottles and plates. He glanced around and frowned when he noticed somebody was missing.

“Where’s Carter?”

Daniel paused in his ministrations. “She said she was going to tackle outside.”

Jack’s frown deepened at his tone. “What’s wrong?”

Silently, the archaeologist pointed towards the window. Jack followed his line of sight. It was difficult to see as dusk had fallen, but he could just make out Sam’s form. She was sitting on the steps of the deck as she stared up at the encroaching night sky.

With a sigh, he turned on his heel. He’d just reached the doorway when Daniel cleared his throat.

“Uh, Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“Aren’t you going to –” He gestured with his head towards Sam.

“Give her a minute,” he answered quietly before he left the room.

He entered the kitchen and switched on the coffee maker. Pulling two mugs from the cupboard, he set them alongside the machine. He didn’t see the look Daniel and Teal’c shared as they followed, but he could feel their eyes on him as they started to clear the food and drinks from the table.

“Everything OK, Jack?”

“Just fine, Daniel,” he replied not meeting his gaze.

“Are you sure, because –”

“I’m sure,” he interrupted, then sighed. “It’s been a hell of a week.”

He caught his friend’s nod out of the corner of his eye.

“What about Sam?”

Jack finally turned and studied his former teammate. “What about her?”

“Is she OK?”

“She’s just buried her dad.”

“I know,” Daniel mumbled. “I just meant – well, she hasn’t seemed herself today.”

“Again, she’s just buried her father.”

“I think there’s more to it than that.”

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “Daniel –”

“I agree with Daniel Jackson,” Teal’c cut in. “Colonel Carter appeared most preoccupied this afternoon.”

“For crying out –” He ran a hand through his hair. “Look, Carter’s probably got a lot on her mind right now. She knows we’re here if she needs us, so just… give her some space.”

He aimed his last words at Daniel, who held his hands up in the air. “Whatever you say, Jack.”

The coffee machine clicked softly, breaking the tense silence in the room, and the General turned to fill the cups.

“I didn’t see Pete this afternoon.”

Jack froze. It took him a few seconds to recover from Daniel’s statement. “Perhaps he was busy.”

“Too busy to attend the wake of his fiancé’s father?”

_“Daniel,”_ he warned.

“I’m just saying. Isn’t it weird that he didn’t show up? I mean –”

“Daniel,” Jack snapped. “It’s none of our business. So, drop it.”

The archaeologist’s face creased in concern and his voice was quiet when he spoke. “I’m just worried about Sam.”

“I know,” he sighed. “Me too.”

The three men continued with their respective tasks in silence for a few moments before Jack lifted the two cups of coffee. With them balanced in one hand, he went into the den, grabbed a throw from the back of the couch and made his way to the glass door that led outside. He slid it open and stepped onto the deck, careful to close the door behind him.

“Here,” he said softly as he approached Sam.

She offered a small smile of thanks as she took a cup from him and wrapped her hands around it. Slowly, Jack moved to her right and lowered himself onto the step beside her. He set his own coffee down by his feet before he unfolded the throw and placed it around Sam’s shoulders.

“It’s cold out here,” he offered when she glanced at him.

She continued to stare, her eyes roaming his face and Jack had to force himself not to look away.

“I’ve been thinking,” Sam suddenly uttered as she broke the gaze and returned her attention to the sky.

“Dangerous.” His comment garnered a half-smile, for which he was grateful, but then he turned serious. “What were you thinking about?”

“I think... I think I need a break.”

Jack frowned at her choice of words, especially when she refused to meet his eye. Eventually, he prompted, “As in?”

“From work.”

“Ah.” He hesitated. “You know you can take all the time that you want – or need – Carter.”

In fact, he was just about to forge ahead and order her to take time off, when she shook her head.

“No, it’s not that, it’s just –” She paused and took a deep breath. “You know the leave I’d booked for the end of the month?”

Jack tried to hide his wince at her question. Sam did indeed have the week off, because it was the week her wedding and honeymoon for Pete were scheduled. He tried to think of how best to answer when –

“I cancelled it.”

His eyebrows shot up so fast, he briefly thought Teal’c would be proud. “Why would you –”

“Or not so much as cancelled my leave, but rather the plans I had for that week.”

“I – uh – huh?”

Jack frowned, but Sam continued regardless, her attention focused on her feet.

“Yeah. I was actually thinking of going on vacation instead.”

He couldn’t hide the surprise in his voice. “A vacation, Carter? You?” Without thinking, he reached over and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. With a small grin, he quipped, “You sure you’re feeling OK?”

The move surprised Sam and her eyes briefly met his. The next thing Jack knew, Sam had placed her coffee on the ground and slowly reached up to move his hand, her fingers lightly curled around his as she brought their hands to rest between them on the deck. She didn’t release her grip, but averted her gaze to a point somewhere along the far edge of the yard.

“I thought I might go somewhere… rural. You know, without Pete.”

Jack’s heart started to beat rapidly at the softness that filled Sam’s voice and he had to swallow hard at the emotions it evoked.

“Rural?” he quietly asked.

“Yeah,” she nodded. “You see, I have this... friend.”

“A friend?” he repeated slowly.

“Mhmm, and they’ve been trying to get me to visit them for a while, but I’ve never accepted. I’ve wanted to,” she added quickly, as she glanced to her right. “But for one reason or another…”

When she trailed off, Jack let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding as he tried to clear his head and focus on what Sam had – or hadn’t – told him. He looked down at their entwined hands, his left and Sam’s right, and he twisted his grip slightly to run his thumb along the inside of her wrist.

“Carter –”

Suddenly, Sam’s left hand also landed on his, stopping the movement of his thumb.

It took a few seconds before he spotted it.

Her ring finger was bare, and her words from earlier suddenly registered in his mind.

“You said without Pete?”

“I did.”

“What happened?”

Sam shrugged and he thought that was the best – and only – answer he would get, but he didn’t really mind. For one, it wasn’t any of his business and two, he wasn’t quite sure he wanted to know. All he did know, was that if the cop was gone, and Kerry was also gone, then maybe –

“I want to go to the cabin, Jack.”

His eyes snapped to Sam’s and he floundered for something to say.

“That is, if the invitation still stands?”

As Jack continued to try and think of something to say amidst his shock, Sam started to mistake his silence for something else. It was only the movement of her hand withdrawing from his that pulled him from his thoughts and his grip immediately tightened around her fingers.

“For you, Sam,” he whispered as he pulled her close, buried his nose in her hair and replaced his words with a feather-light kiss. “Always.”

**Author's Note:**

> Incase I haven’t mentioned it before, I absolutely _hate_ Pete. His character just did not work for Sam. I mean, what real competition did he offer? He was up against JACK O’NEILL. Anyways, I really wanted to make this a fic that was purely bashing Pete, but I know Sam would never do that on the show, so this is what my imagination created instead… I still think he’s a significant jerk, though.


End file.
